What constitutes expensive?

 LOL --- I have entered a couple of things into my electronic to-do list, but it's going to take some work to get started to make it truly useful. Baby steps. Meanwhile, I had made a paper list of 12 things I wanted to accomplish in Studio B this week, and I crossed two off yesterday and almost completed 3 more! These are all small things - not actually piecing a quilt, but finishing off bags, or other small items. But all is good!

I get a daily email from the to-do app listing my tasks. I'll have to check it out later as I'm away this morning. Yep -- finally off to the adventure that I thought was last week! 

Yes - more shoveling yesterday, but the driveway is clear, and I heard the plow and the sidewalk plow in the night, so all should be good. Even though the sidewalk plow had done most of the sidewalks right after the storm, there was so much snow, and the banks were higher than the plow could reach, so the sidewalks were not in great shape, and we ended up walking on the road. Hopefully, today will be better. 

But seriously, I am shocked by what people in this neighborhood do. This house is right on the corner, near a high school, and this sidewalk is very frequently used. What? You can see the sidewalk behind that huge mound of snow. They literally shoveled the snow from their driveway onto the sidewalk, and not just a little pile - that is about four feet high! Seriously? 

There is a sidewalk under that snowbank!

Are they so car-centric that they don't even realize there is a sidewalk there? Do they not care? I'd love for the city to hire me, and I'll walk around and slap everyone with a fine that does something stupid like this. It's annoying and just shows how entitled people are! These are drivers who probably don't even watch out for pedestrians. 

I see the girls are making their trails in the backyard, but the snow is so deep that they haven't made many! But Lexi had fun romping around and hopping through the snow. The Husky side of her is finally showing in the snow. Look at her face - she is positively beaming in the snow!

MOM - I LOVE the snow - sometimes! 

Although Murphy is truly the one who is spending the most time in the snow. She is in and out of the house many times in a day. Not because she needs to go, but just to plop in the snowbank on the deck!

MOM- I LOVE the snow - it cools me down!

We had a pretty sunny day yesterday, and there are actually bare patches in the driveway!

Here is one of two tote bags that needed finishing. I mean, why do we let this stuff just sit around and never get done? The second one is almost finished. They are a bit narrow for the depth, but they would be great as a shoe bag! I made the bottom a bit too square, but it's OK. 

Completed tote bag

And I finally got the second sleeve of my sweatshirt done! Again - how long did that take? Not long to finish. Most of the tasks on that list for this week are finishing up small projects, so I hope to get through them and add more! Remember - I CAN, and I WILL -- WATCH ME!!!!

The sleeve for my sweatshirt

And there's one more spool of thread that bites the dust!! I have zero qualms about using up thread -- that's why we buy it! 

One more spool of thread gone!

Speaking of buying things, here's something to contemplate. Remember, I mentioned buying the expensive bras the other day and how much they cost per year? Someone on our Monday call lamented the high cost of purchasing a new rotary cutting mat to replace her THIRTY-YEAR-old one. 

Let's just contemplate that for a second. This existing mat has lasted 30 years -- and yes, so has mine, although mine should be replaced. It still works, even though it looks terrible. 

Here are some properties of the mat that I'd look for: 

• Minimum size (provided I have room): 24" by 36".
• Folding mat - NO!!!!!!
• Mat larger than 24" by 36"? Unless I'm cutting garments, I do NOT need a larger mat than 24" by 36". When have you cut a piece of fabric larger than that for a quilt? Bigger does not always mean better! 

Now let's do the math. Let's say that the mat (24" by 36") costs $150 CDN. WOW -- that's a lot of money. But is it? If you keep that mat for thirty years, and probably the last one you'll buy at our age, then that mat costs you $5 PER YEAR to own. Is that a lot of money? Heck - that's the price of two coffees! STOP looking at the cost of the item and look at the cost per year, per usage, per whatever --- then the cost is not huge at all. It's all about how you look at it --- glass half full, or glass half empty! 

$150 CDN for a 24" by 36" mat is CHEAP, and I'd be rushing out to buy a new one if I needed it. I have three pretty much brand-new mats in my house, so I will never have to buy another one. I need to just move the new one to where the old one is! You can't just look at the cost—you need to consider the price over the projected use period. If you buy a cheaper mat because it's cheaper and then you have to replace it - that isn't a bargain. Buy QUALITY. Buy something that was made for this purpose - not a cheap substitute!

And here's the other thing that drives me mad. We are among the fortunate people who still have a Fabricland (somewhat similar to Joann's) in our city, which sells home decor, garments, and quilting fabrics. It sells yarn and lots and lots of notions. Many do not like to shop there because they feel the items are overpriced. And yes, they have a funky pricing system that really tries to get you to buy a membership, so you save on all the prices. I believe a one-year membership costs $25. I usually save that $25 on the first trip after renewal. 

Here's the thing -- if you do NOT shop at Fabricland, it will close, like MANY of their other stores in Ontario have over the last couple of years, and they are NOT reopening. If there is no Fabricland, then where the heck am I going to buy a 22" burgundy invisible zipper when I want it? 

I can't go to my local quilt shop—they don't stock that kind of thing. Where will I buy those random notions? Again, the local quilt shop doesn't sell that kind of stuff. It's like everything else - buyer beware. Don't just run in and buy willy-nilly. Check things out -- I have never felt price-gouged buying at Fabricland because I look first. 

I do NOT even consider buying many of these things at that online store. As I've mentioned many times, Jeff does not need my money, which is most likely supporting things that I disagree with - NUFF SAID!!! Personally, I think we need to boycott that online store for 24 hours to show that the power is in the consumer - NOT the owner! And while Wal-Mart tries to have basic notions, it wouldn't have a 22" burgundy invisible zipper. 

Do you not find that there is an annoying habit going around these days? People do NOT LISTEN when you are talking. Twice, if not three times, yesterday, I asked questions on our Monday Zoom call, and every time, the person I was asking responded with an answer that did NOT answer my particular question. The answer was related, but it did not answer my question. And one of them was somewhat snarky about it. I rudely interrupted their snarkiness and said -- MY QUESTION IS THIS!!! Sheesh --- what is wrong with people? 

And I know that everyone wants to be helpful, but people -- on a ZOOM call, do NOT take over a conversation because you think you know better than the person who is being asked the question! I target specific people to get them talking!!!!!! 

The other day, I was chatting about the 150 Canadian Women quilt, and Judy sent me pictures of what she has done with hers. She gave the quilt a modern twist and even made it reversible to accommodate all the blocks. 

A modern version of the 150 Canadian Women quilt

The second side to accommodate all the blocks

And she put this dedication to the most important Canadian woman in her life, her mother, on the quilt! That is a very touching addition! 

A dedication to a mother!

Well, there you have it -- another crazy day at my house. No decluttering got done, but that's OK. OH - I did have a long nap. I had lunch and then realized it was one of those "I need a nap, and I need it NOW" moments, so I went to bed. I typically set the timer, which I did, but I was still exhausted, so I went back to sleep for a double nap. I got up and felt so much better. All that shoveling did me in! I had zero trouble sleeping last night, except for when I heard the backup beeper on the front-end loader! 

Have a fabulous day!!!

Ciao!!